Devices for ameliorating certain adverse characteristics of interior environments to enhance the well being of occupants thereof are known and have heretofore included means for generating ions and for purification of air (see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,542,434, 4,528,612, 4,493,247, 4,271,452, 3,662,217, 1,167,053, and Re. 27,027).
Devices are also known for provision of an electrostatic field, and/or for establishing disturbances, or pulses, in an electrostatic field within such environments (see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,271,452, 3,894,852, 3,680,281, 3,678,337, 3,662,217, 3,541,390, 3,531,150, 3,483,672, 2,184,644, 1,167,053, and Re. 27,027).
Indoor, or enclosed, environments have long been believed to shield occupants thereof from naturally occurring and beneficial electric fields which exist near the earth from 50 to 750 volts per meter, a phenomenon known as the Faraday Cage Effect, as well as shielding the occupants from the pulsed resonance within such naturally occurring fields (commonly referred to as the Schumann Resonance). Such pulsating fields are believed to have positive effects on humans and have a frequency typically in a range between 7 Hz and 32 Hz (and more commonly between 7 Hz and 10 Hz). It is also believed that some such environments become ion depleted, and are, therefore, particularly susceptible to accumulation of gaseous and particulate pollutants.
It has also been suggested that provision in an enclosed environment of negative ions may stimulate biochemical reactions and/or increase the metabolic rate of those breathing the ions, and may also reduce production of the hormone serotonin that is believed to be associated with depression and fatigue. (See Yaglow, C. P., "Are Air Ions a Neglected Biological Factor?" pp 269-279, in "The Air We Breathe - A Study of Man and His Environment", Farber, S. M. and Wilson, R. H. L. Editors, Charles C. Thomas, Publisher, Springfield, Ill. (1961); Soyka, Fred, "The Ion Effect", E. E. P. Dutton Publisher (1977); Assael M., Pfeifer, Y., Sulman, F.G., "Influence of Artificial Air Ionization of the Human Electroencephalogram", Department of Applied Pharmacology, Hebrew University - Hadassah Medical School and School of Pharmacy, Jerusalem, Israel (1973); and Kreuger, A. P., Strubbe, A. E., Yost, M. G. and Reed, E. J. "Electric Fields, Small Air Ions and Biological Effects" Department of Biomedical and Environmental Health Sciences and the Naval Biosciences Laboratory, School of Public Health, Earl Warren Hall, University of California, Berkely, Calif. (1976).)
While environmental modification devices heretofore known have been provided for use in vehicles and the like, such devices have not effectively provided in a single, compact device capable of ameliorating the adverse environmental conditions experienced in enclosed environments and/or providing a combination of enhancements to the environment to offset such conditions, have not provided an apparatus which is readily controllable and positionable by occupants, and have often been cumbersome and/or unduly complicated to install, in many cases requiring modification of the interior of such vehicles for application of the devices. As may be appreciated, therefore, further improvements in such devices could be utilized.